Pill dispenser with cleaning device

ABSTRACT

A pill dispenser includes a main body, a pillbox, and a cleaning member. The main body includes an arm, a first air pipe, a second air pipe, and a filter. The suction nozzle is located on the arm, and the suction nozzle is connected to the filter by the first air pipe. The pillbox receives a number of pills. The suction nozzle is moveable into the pillbox by the arm to vacuum the pills. The cleaning member cleans the suction nozzle before the suction nozzle is moved into the pillbox to vacuum the pill, and impurities is suctioned into the filter via the first air pipe and the suction nozzle.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to pill dispensers, and particularly to a pill dispenser with a cleaning device.

BACKGROUND

In view of the growth in treatable medical illnesses and conditions, numerous individuals are required to take one or more pills on a regular basis such as daily or once every four to six hours. To this end, there are a variety of pill dispensers, which enable multiple dosages of the pills to be placed into the dispenser, such that each dose is individually dispensed. The dispenser is manipulated by a mechanical arm each time a dosage consisting of one or more pills is required to be taken. However, pill powder may accumulate on the arm and may contaminate other pills when they are dispensed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of a part of pill dispenser.

FIG. 2 is an assembled view of the pill dispenser of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed from a different aspect.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a circled portion IV of the pill dispenser of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a pill dispenser (only a part is shown in FIGS. 1-3). The pill dispenser comprises a main body 10, a pillbox 30 attached to the main body 10, and a cleaning device 40 attached to the main body 10. The pill dispenser is used to dispense various pills such as solid capsules, soft capsules, or tablets. The pills will generate much powder that will contaminate other tablets and capsules.

The main body 10 comprises an arm 11, a first air pipe 21, a second air pipe 22, a filter 50, and a vacuum unit 60. A suction nozzle 12 is located on a free end of the arm 11 and is connected to the filter 50 by the first air pipe 21. The filter 50 is connected to the vacuum unit 60 via the second air pipe 22. In one embodiment, the filter 50 contains a plurality of powder absorbing material, such as activated carbon. The vacuum unit 60 is used for applying a vacuum to the suction nozzle 12 via the filter 50 and the first air pipe 21. When the arm 11 fetches the pills from the pill box 30, the suction nozzle 12 is extended into the pill box 30. The vacuum unit 60 operates to enable the suction nozzle 12 to select and pluck a pill from the pill box 30. The powder of the pills remains on a periphery of the suction nozzle 12 when the pills are released from the suction nozzle 12.

The pill box 30 defines an opening 31, and the cleaning device 40 is received in the opening 31. In other embodiments, the cleaning device 40 can be located above the opening 31. The cleaning device 40 comprises two side panels 41 and a rear panel 42. In one embodiment, the two side panels 41 are substantially parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the rear panel 42. Two cleaning members 45 are located between the two side panels 42. In one embodiment, each cleaning member 45 is a brush. Each cleaning member 45 is connected to a respective side panel 41, and a gap 46 is defined between the two cleaning members 45. In one embodiment, a width of the gap 46 is less than a width of the suction nozzle 12. When the suction nozzle 12 is extended into the pill box 30, the periphery of the suction nozzle 12 is wedged through the gap 46 of the cleaning device 40 and brushed by the two cleaning members 45.

FIGS. 2-4 show working states of the pill dispenser. When the arm 11 fetches pills from the pillbox 30, the arm 11 extends the suction nozzle 12 into the pillbox 30 through the gap 46 of the cleaning device 40. Because the width of the suction nozzle 12 is greater than the width of the gap 46, the cleaning members 45 brush off any powder on the periphery of the suction nozzle 12, the vacuum unit 60 suctions the brushed off powder through the suction nozzle 12, and the suctioned powder is absorbed into the filter 50 through the first air pipe 21. The powder absorbed into the filter 50 can be absorbed by the plurality of powder absorbing material in the filter 50, so that the powder does not free-float.

In summary, each time the arm 11 fetches pills from the pill box 30, the two cleaning members 45 clean the powder off the periphery of the suction nozzle 12.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pill dispenser comprising: a main body comprising an arm; a suction nozzle located on the arm; a pill box configured for receiving a plurality of pills; and a cleaning device comprising a first cleaning member; wherein the suction nozzle is moveable into the pill box by the arm to pluck a pill from the plurality of pills, and the first cleaning member cleans the suction nozzle before the suction nozzle is moved into the pill box to pluck the pill.
 2. The pill dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cleaning device further comprises a second cleaning member and two side panels parallel to each other, and the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member are located between the two side panels.
 3. The pill dispenser of claim 2, wherein a gap is defined between the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, the suction nozzle is moveable into the pill box through the gap.
 4. The pill dispenser of claim 3, wherein a width of the gap is less than a size of the suction nozzle, when the suction nozzle extends through the gap, the suction nozzle is cleaned by the cleaning member.
 5. The pill dispenser of claim 1, wherein the main body further comprises a first air pipe, a second air pipe, a filter, and a vacuum unit, the suction nozzle is connected to the filter by the first pipe, and filter is connected to the vacuum unit by the second air pipe.
 6. The pill dispenser of claim 5, wherein the vacuum unit is configured to have the suction nozzle pluck a powder shed by the plurality of pills into the filter.
 7. The pill dispenser of claim 5, wherein a plurality of absorbing material is received in the filter, and the powder vacuumed through the first air pipe is filtered by the plurality of absorbing material.
 8. A pill dispenser comprising: a main body comprising an arm, a first air pipe, and a filter; a suction nozzle located on the arm, and the suction nozzle connected to the filter by the first air pipe; a pill box configured for receiving plurality of pills; and a cleaning device comprising a first cleaning member; wherein the suction nozzle is moveable into the pill box by the arm to pluck a pill from the plurality of pills, the first cleaning member cleans the suction nozzle before the suction nozzle is moved into the pill box to pluck the pill, and impurities cleaned by the first cleaning member is vacuumed into the filter via the first pipe by the suction nozzle.
 9. The pill dispenser of claim 8, the cleaning device further comprises a second cleaning member and two side panels parallel to each other, and the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member are located between the two side panels.
 10. The pill dispenser of claim 9, wherein a gap is defined the first cleaning member and the second cleaning member, the suction nozzle is moveable into the pill box through the gap.
 11. The pill dispenser of claim 10, wherein a width of the gap is less than a size of the suction nozzle, when the suction nozzle extends through the gap, the suction nozzle is cleaned by the cleaning member.
 12. The pill dispenser of claim 8, wherein the main body further comprises a second air pipe and a vacuum unit, and filter is connected to the vacuum unit by the second air pipe.
 13. The pill dispenser of claim 12, wherein the vacuum unit is configured to have the suction nozzle vacuum a powder of plurality of pills into the filter.
 14. The pill dispenser of claim 8, wherein a plurality of absorbing material is received in the filter, and the powder vacuumed through the first air pipe is filtered by the plurality of absorbing material. 